Posts tagged “stainless steel appliances”

Creating dream kitchens for single family palaces is a good portion of my work. Giving that expansive feel to a smaller footprint is a challenge I enjoy as well. To do that I really need to feel how you function. I want to feel how you live and interact. I want to create a space that has room for kids’ art, pet bowls, Costco runs, phone chargers, PTA calendars and still suits all your entertaining needs. I want to know who is cooking what and when so we have a tv for the morning news or easy access to the outdoor bar-b-q. I want to know if wine storage is important or if a built-in coffee system would really make your kitchen special and keep you from running out to Starbucks in your yellow fuzzy robe! Feeding our family and friends really feeds our soul and makes us happy. I want to help you outfit your kitchen to make the most of home celebrations and everyday living.
So, here I am with Ellen, talking about how we made her kitchen function for her specific needs.
My great appreciation for the work of Rick Spence and deepest thanks to the team at Houzz.com for featuring me in this promotional video.

Thursday I had the pleasure of attending The Architectural Digest Home Design Show at Pier94 in the city. For me, center stage and the stars of the show, were the appliances. Among the items displayed by American Range was my favorite 60″ range with the 22″ gridlle perfect for making those big Sunday breakfasts I adore. Fhiaba takes refrigeration to a new level in my opinion, by allowing the user to change certain segments from refrigeration to freezer or vice versa in a matter of 2 hours–ordinary magic, indeed.

Then there was Thermador , whose design and price point make it my standard for discerning clients. The Thermador booth is picturedat 6:30 pm, wine flowing and people packing themselves in. On display, the new 48″ Pro Grand Range with built in steam oven and the versatile refrigeration columns displayed with wine storage and wood panelled faces that really show off the superior hinge design.

New Traditional is my way of giving traditional an up-to-date vibe without trying to hide it’s conventional nature. In this Connecticut kitchen remodel, I gave a nod to time honored crystal lighting by using a pendant that displays the crystals in a new way. We also took that tradtional classic of crackled subway tile and made that new by adding a contemporary linear strip of stone and glass. The result?

New Traditional that honors the past but brings the present into view….

This remodel is of an old Westhampton house that has had many additions over the years. The kitchen had some character from original rustic beams at the entrance but the cabinets, formica counters and painted tile backsplash had a dated feel. The owner had a wish list of appliances including a 48″ commercial range, big refrigerator, ice maker, warming drawer, built in microwave and two dishwashers. We rearranged the floorplan to accomodate all of the appliances and also allow for a breakfast bar with 5 stools, a tv for the cook to watch “Food Network”, and a spot for the phone and a water cooler. A shade of buttermilk yellow with espresso glaze and beautiful Ayers Green granite give the room a unique updated feel. Owl glass pendants from tech lighting and a fun mosaic tile splash finish off the look.

Working for a couple that have quite different visions of their kitchen needs is always a challenge but can be a pleasure! In this case, a lovely women wanted a “pretty, country French feel” and her counterpart was looking for something “industrious and manly…..you know, for serious cooking”…(Oddly enough, they are both therapists and have a major impact in helping people make sense of their lives…Could I help them make sense of their kitchen?)…. Here, we have certainly accomplished all goals. The integration of a French patterned golden travertine floor, stunning Blue Bahia counters, stainless appliances (including a “real” commercial range), whimsical pendants and creamy wood tones create a warm, lovely environment that satisfies both “Him and Her”.

Updating a home can become very expensive, and the ability to make reasonable dreams come true within a reasonable budget is one of my best “Fairy Houzz Mother” tricks…..Dark cabinets don’t have to make the kitchen look smaller. This kitchen was a 1980’s white formica laminate with radius ends and a truly dated look. This alder wood cabinetry in a rich dark finish mixed with sunny golden tones creates warmth without giving the kitchen a “closed in” feel. Reworking the plan within the existing footprint created more storage and a better work flow without the expense of an addition….and so both the budget and the kitchen lived happily ever after……

This kitchen remodel took it’s inspiration from some wooden wall art with a boating motif. The room needed updating but there was a desire to keep some of the home’s cozy personality. The artwork and charts reflected the home owners’ love of the sea and created a wonderful pallette for texture and color. We decided to keep the old natural pine panelling, painting it a sunny shade of Benjamin Moore MACADAMIA NUT 191. Cabinetry with “pegged doors” from Dura Supreme was chosen to keep with the rustic textural theme. Stainless appliances with a more contemporary hood style add visual interst and give the room an eclectic balance of elements. Cambria solid surface counters in “Canterbury” color and mosiacs with copper accents in the backsplash add vibrancy to the look. Sunny, warm, functional space by the sea…………..

When designing a spatially challenged suburban kitchen, I often have a conversation that starts something like this, “I want to eat in my kitchen but I have no room. I don’t want to just stick a table against the wall and I don’t like the idea of a breakfast bar where we are all line up…….it isn’t conversational. What can I do?” My favorite solution is some variation of what I like to call a “dine in peninsula”. This solution provides a conversational place to have a meal while adding off meal time working counter and additional storage. This home in Garden City, New York is an example of a simple, but decorative and functional “dine in” space. The use of glass cabinetry gives it personality and the “chandette” adds warmth and intimacy.

You can almost hear him pouring the champagne and slicing the strawberries……this butler’s pantry is used to store wine, glassware and serving pieces, as well as preparing canapes and hors d’oeuvres and all the luscious bits of “tipple and snack” that make for truly opulent living…….. ah,salut……la bonne vie!